I’m getting a little frustrated with training at the moment. Nothing new there! Although I’m a very patient person generally, I am incredibly tough on myself. So, it’s time to remind myself, and you, about ‘Pacing’.
I’ve often heard that life is more like a marathon than a sprint, so this post is for everyone .. whether you like to run or not.
This is all about the long haul, the miles we need to cover to get to the place we want to be. I’m going to draw on my experience at the Virgin London Marathon this year to explain and to make a confession. I hold my hands up and openly admit that I did something that I said I wouldn’t do. I ran the first half of the marathon way too fast.
You see, I’m saving up for one of those fancy sports watches .. you know the type, the ones that have Star Trek ‘Beam Me Up Scotty’ capabilities, the ones that can tell you how fast you’re running, how far you’ve run, calories burned, as well as that good ol’ fashioned idea of telling the time. I’ve said it before but I’m terrible with numbers .. when I crossed the start line of the Virgin London Marathon I knew, that despite there being time checks along the way, I wouldn’t be able to do the maths to figure out my mile splits .. I don’t know what it is about numbers but I just find it really difficult to remember them, let alone do anything vaguely meaningful with them.
So there I was amongst almost 40,000 other runners and I felt good. It didn’t feel like I was running too fast, in fact I thought I was running a little too slow. I concentrated on weaving in and out of other runners whilst taking in the sights of the amazing crowds and historical London landmarks.
The warning sign should have been when Tower Bridge came up a lot sooner than I’d expected. So, half way through a marathon and I’m using up energy reserves faster than the grinning fool I was. I paid for it of course. Well, you always do, don’t you?!
The idea in marathon running, as it is in life, is not to burn out too quickly. Don’t get carried away by the excitement and adrenalin of the crowd – enjoy it by all means but don’t forget to look after yourself. My aim in running, particularly for long distances, is to build gradually and look for that rhythm and pace, that feeling that I can run all day .. not too fast, not too slow… a pace that is even, fluid and strong.
My top pacing tips :
- Preparation is key. Have a game plan but allow yourself a Plan B and a Plan C – what will you be happy with if Plan A is beyond your reach this time.
- Don’t get carried away by the excitement. Remind yourself of your goals and the job you still have to do.
- Reward yourself along the way – apart from the obvious need for fuel and hydration, marathon runners will often have rewards, like Jelly Beans, for a little extra boost at specific mile points.
- Break it into chunks. Setting off with the whole 26.2 miles of a marathon in front of you can be frightening .. however, run from one lamp post/tree to another and the task doesn’t seem so huge.
- When the going gets tough, practice your mantra! Mantras, positive affirmations, a.k.a self talk, help focus the mind – ‘I am strong’, ‘I can feel the joy of finishing’, ‘I will beat this’. Deena Kastor, professional marathon runner, uses a line from Madonna’s song, ‘I love New York’, to help motivate and empower her ..”If you can’t stand the heat, then get off my street” … I love that one!!
Even the great English Bard himself knew a thing or two about pacing:
“To climb steep hills requires slow pace at first”
William Shakespeare
Can you spare a minute and leave a comment? I’d love to know what keeps you going and helps you achieve your goals – how do you pace your race?
What amazes me most is that, having done the thing, you seem to be itching to do another. Or perhaps, having invested so much time and effort into the preparation, this post-marathon analysis is a manifestation of the writer’s urge to exploit one’s own experiences. Perhaps you should write a novel about it: ‘The Loneliness of the Long Distance …’ — oh bugger, that’s already been done.
I’ve never done a marathon. 12 miles is the most I’ve done — I walked the last four miles of the Kingston-Hampton Court Bridge double circuit — but I often find that composing the plot of a story is a useful distraction to enable some of the miles to disappear.
Yes Gavin, I’m keen to run another marathon .. in fact, I’d like to see if I could run further than 26.2miles! What frustrates me is my ability to pick up injuries and the lack of consistency in training – blackened toes are still an issue! Long distance running can be lonely but I’ve been surprised at the huge number of new friends I’ve made since I made the decision to run the Virgin London Marathon.
12 miles is a great achievement and I know the Kingston-Hampton Court area well. Story plots are a favourite of mine also when I’m out running .. perhaps there’s a best-seller in me yet!
Joanna
I really liked this Joanna. A great comparison. I agree with your points 100%. I will be sharing this on my Facebook page. Thanks!
Beverly
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Joanna, what a great analogy you used to describe the importance in pacing yourself, no matter what it is you’re trying to accomplish! I really look forward to reading your posts as I can imagine myself along for the ride…or should I say run? LOL!
Christine
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Thank you so much Beverly, I’m glad you agree and I’m delighted you’ll be sharing my post on your Facebook page.
Thank you.
Best wishes
Joanna
Hi Christine,
As usual, your comment brought a smile! Glad to have you along for the journey!
All the best
Joanna
Joanna,
I think it’s fantastic that you are training to be a marathon runner. Like you said, the skills of being a truly successful marathon runner can be applied to so many areas of our lives. You are preparing yourself for a fulfilling and successful life as you apply the lessons you are learning to your life as a whole. I loved your quote from Shakespeare. It seems so very basic and fundamental, but we don’t use it where we should. Everything has its proper pace!
I think I’ll train for a marathon so I can reward myself with jelly beans..LOL ..I do love jelly beans! I’ll have to incorporate them as rewards for my other milestones instead of waiting until Easter to over-indulge in them.
Thanks for your post, Joanna and I look forward to hearing how you paced yourself better in your next marathon!
Dawn and (Dave)
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Joanna – This is a very neat blog site for runners and non runners alike. You give a great analogy in this post that we can all relate to – in all aspects of our lives. Great job:)
Glyna Humm recently posted..A Game Changer For Your Home Business!
Hi Dawn & Dave!
I love jelly beans too!..Some Marathon runners carry 26 of those precious little sweeties ..1 for every mile .. a great little motivator to get to the next mile marker and a quick sugar hit just when it’s needed … our requirements in everyday life are no different in my opinion!
Thanks for stopping by, it’s a pleasure to have you here and thanks for leaving a comment.
Many thanks Glyna, I’m so pleased you stopped by.
Joanna
Excellent content Joanna. I believe strongly in pacing myself. Of course at my age if I don’t I could die. I tell all my employees (when I have them) In isn’t an hundred dash but an Marathon.
LOL Nelson .. I might be a tad younger than you but the same applies and many would say, after one of my long runs, I look as though I’m about to gasp my last!
Best wishes
Joanna
What keeps me going? I guess it is probably the fear of not getting there. I usually tell my friends and family how great i am gonna be in the future and i just can’t disappoint myself or the people around me. I just have to keep going. That said you reminded me of something very important, i have to pace myself. Sometimes i wish things went faster but i just can’t help it. So i have no choice but to go one step at a time.
Thanks for sharing.
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Joanna
I admired you the minute you said you are a runner let alone a marathon runner. Get a pace that feels like you could go all day!!! Never have I felt that running so I must need your tips. Ahh I can do all those things when applied to running my life or business so I am going to try and apply them to my running instead. Might see you are the next marathon.
Belinda
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Thanks for commenting Loic – I can definitely identify with what keeps you going..not wishing to let people down can be a big motivator. But as you say, it is important to be patient and pace yourself too.
Thank you for stopping by.
Joanna
Joanna,
This was a TERRIFIC post! How often to we respond and jump ahead without taking in the journey along the way .. so much can be missed.. wonderful post and tips! Do you think they can be applied to pregnant women and birth?
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Joanna,
Thanks for writing this post , i find the information that you have shared of great value to the people that i connect with and going to pass this on to my tribe. I look forward to reading more from you.
Chris
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Joanna,
This is great advice for beginning marathoners. The inspiration and guidance is always needed. Not just in running, this applies in other areas of life!
–Mario.
Mario Miranda recently posted..The Misanthrope
Chris,
Thank you so much for stopping by and leaving a comment. I’m so pleased you liked the post and are keen to share it with others.
Best wishes
Joanna
Hi Mario,
I’m so pleased you liked the advice. I’ve learned a lot about running and most of it applies to life in general.
Thanks for the feedback!
Joanna
Joanna, I really liked this post because it reminds me that even when I think I should be doing more to get the results that I am looking for, sometimes more is too much when you are doing 100 things at a time and getting nowhere. If I pace myself I can get a lot more done by focusing on the task at hand. Thanks for the reminder.
Lori
Hi Joanna, you continue to inspire me! I would definitely agree with you that it’s so important that you take care of yourself and pace it. It’s amazing that you are doing so well…well, no it’s not. You are a focused, empowered woman! You can do anything! You have proven it over and over.
Laura Morris
Hi Lori,
Sometimes I need to remind myself to read my own post!
Not only do we do more than ever but we are often expected to do more. There’s a phrase ‘If you want something done, ask a busy person’ – sometimes we need to take a step back and check whether we’re a ‘busy person’ or a ‘whirling dervish’ !
Joanna
Hi Laura,
Well that was just a lovely comment to read first thing this morning – it really set me up for my day!
Giving encouragement when and where it’s needed is a gift, thank you.
Joanna
Hi Joanna!
I see you’re running “another” marathon, I just knew you would after you’d done one! It’s addictive so I see from your itching to do another already!
My way of getting through each day is this: Life is a journey, and each journey starts with one step, so take it one step at a time, and you will find what you want in life!
Hope that helps!
Bye for now
Karen x
Hi Karen,
How lovely to hear from you – I was thinking of you earlier. I’m always so grateful for your comments and encouragement. One step at a time is a good way to pace yourself. Often when I’m running I repeat things like ‘one foot in front of the other’ or ‘one more step’ or on the really long runs ‘just one more mile’. Your journey has been a difficult one and I admire your strength and tenacity .. you never let things get you down (or you never show it) … I don’t know how you do it. Email me and let me know how you’re doing.
With love
Joanna x
P.S. Anyone else who is reading this, please go and visit Karen’s blog – what a lady, what a fighter!!
Hi Joanna,
Running a 5K is one thing but a marathon! Whew. Life is a marathon and it makes sense to me to train for it! Hope you get your sports watch soon. When you find the one that can “beam me up, Scottie” please let me know where I can get one too. LOL!
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Slow and steady or maybe persistent and steady. Great post. My Dad use to run marathons, I well remember the smell of jogging sweat from my childhood. It must be the practice of self discipline that attracts so many to it. It is very addicting once you get your teeth in it. Thanks for sharing this, it took me back to being lost as a child at the Cleveland Marathon. I wasn’t really lost, my Mom was.
Nicole Rushin recently posted..Opened for Business – Setting Up the ‘Shop of You’?
Hi Joanna! Great post about pacing.
What I try to do is to break things up into doable pieces. It makes it so much easier to see how all of the smaller pieces add up to the bigger picture.
That also enables me to put a practical plan into works. It makes my goal that much more achievable!
Thanks Joanna! I enjoy seeing how you apply the principles that seem specific to running to life in general and being a better healthier person.
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Joanna,
Great advice… it’s so easy to get carried away when the excitement hits and the adrenaline starts to flow (in any part of our lives). Speaking from experience… cause we’ve done it (and still do it sometimes), your post is a great reminder to stay aware of our “pace” and that we’re on the right track to having enough energy to cross the finish line.
Thanks,
~ Pat and Lorna
http://TheCoolestCouple.com
Hi Joanna,
thanks for the great insight. I agree with you pace yourself, chunk it down, start off slowly…..however I am an impatient person and sometimes I just can’t wait. Especially when you feel you are going so well. Like you did as well when running it didn’t seem that fast.
Great post and great insight into human nature.
Keep up the good work.
Johanna
Johanna Brem recently posted..Be a True Professional in Your Home Business
You have the ability and determination to run as far as you want to go. If you can not only complete a marathon, but do so in a good time, despite the run (geddit?!:)) of appalling injuries you sustained, the sky’s the limit. You’re only restricted by that grey squishy stuff between your ears. I think it was Yoda who said that. Or not…
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Johanna,
Great advice for marathon running OR pacing yourself for success in any area of your life! Thanks so much for sharing it with us, I really do appreciate it and your focus. Love the suggestion about the affirmations, makes a lot of sense.
Thanks again,
Adam
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I’m so pleased you enjoyed the post, Adam. Thank you for stopping by – a pleasure to have you here!
Joanna
Howdy – When you’ve stopped thrashing that limp HP laptop with a branch, I’m rather looking forward to your next installment…
Andrew
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Hi Joanna,
Great inspiring post! I agree with pacing yourself. I try and focus on one thing at a time, I feel I am much more productive this way!
MaryKay
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Hi MaryKay,
Thank you so much for stopping by.
It’s amazing how quickly we forget about ‘pacing’ though and end up getting cross and annoyed .. maybe it’s just me
Best wishes
Joanna
Joanna, I think your post is relevant to just about anything we do in life. Failure to plan is a plan to fail. I really liked your tips.
Brenda
Joanna, Great post! I like the way you used marathon running and paralleled it with our life. You provided some really good tips here too! Thanks for the useful information! Joseph McDevitt
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Thanks Joseph, I’m pleased you enjoyed the post. Thanks for stopping by.
Joanna
Thanks for stopping by Brenda and taking the time to leave a comment. I’m glad you liked the tips
Hey Joanna! Great post not only for runners but you have some great tips here that could apply to a number of things. I love the tip about breaking things into chunks, I try to do that with a lot of things so it does not seem overwhelming. Thanks for sharing this!
Angela recently posted..A Cool Free Seo Tool For Your Blog Posts and Articles
Thanks Angela, I always like what you post on your site too…I think we have similar approaches!
Best wishes
Joanna
Great analogy Joanna, thanks for the excellent pacing tips. We are certainly in a marathon with our businesses and it pays when we remember to treat it as such…taking the water stops when we need to, picking up the pace where necessary and pushing through those barriers when the going seems tough..And off course remembering to practice your mantra through it all.
Excellent post. Thanks for sharing,
Johneal
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Very cool content here.
I was literally crying when I watched the iron man competition. I love the feeling of finishing a long race and not stopping until the end because of competition.
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Thanks Andrew. Competing is a great feeling and finishing a challenge is even better. The competition is never harder than when it’s against yourself! Great to know you like what’s here and hope you come back soon.
Joanna
,.; that seems to be a great topic, i really love it *`’